We thought we’d put together a few more ‘tried and tested’ tips to help out Everton Park parents, especially those who may have children starting school for the first time in 2013.

Make lunches the night before: If your child is a picky eater, it may help to let them be involved in the lunch-making process. Often a vegemite and cheese sandwich can be far more tempting if they’ve spread the vegemite and squished the cheese in themselves. Making it the night before will also give you more time in the morning to get on with other important tasks, such as chasing your child around the house with a hair brush or hunting for the elusive matching pair of school socks.

Pack school bags the night before: Fairly self-explanatory, but most parents can attest to the occasional arrival at school without a lunchbox, school hat, or signed excursion notice. Remembering the bag itself before 9am is gold-star-worthy in our book, so it’s always a good idea to prepare the night before.

Set alarm clocks: Why is it that children wake up at 6am in the holidays, and then could sleep until noon when they’re back at school? It’s a good idea to get your children into the habit of setting their own alarm, once they’re able to, and praising them when they refrain from hitting the snooze button.

Turn off the television: It’s just an idea, but we’ve heard many stories of parents who encourage their children to play games, read stories, write stories, complete puzzles and run around outside rather than sitting in front of the television, and their children seem to respond well in the classroom. It may not work for everybody, but involving your children in active play can help them to better prepare for a day of learning.

Clear a quiet, distraction-free place for homework: Depending on the age of your child, this may need to be a quiet place (such as in their own bedroom), or somewhere that enables the child to receive supervision and help from an adult (such as the kitchen or family room).

Freeze a few easy dinners: If it’ll help you stay sane in the first weeks of school, why not? Whipping up a couple of meals on the weekend that can be frozen and dished up during the week will give you more time to help with homework, be involved in play-dates (which can help children fit in socially), and generally ease the tension at home.

If you have any other tips you’d like to share with other Everton Park parents to make the school transition easier, please share them here.